Walking through Ruins – Amman

Welcome to Jordan! Amman, today, specifically.

I’m so excited to recap my vacation with you. You may remember that it’s been three years in the making – this trip was scheduled for the week after the world shut down in 2020 and finally, FINALLY, the stars aligned and I got to go. I was originally supposed to go with Brother, but he changed his trip credit for our Amalfi trip next month, so I wrangled my old London roommate C to join me along for the ride.

This ride started in Amman, Jordan’s capital. A hustling, bustling, chaotic metropolis that mixes the modern with the ancient. Working off the jet lag (and our amazing meal from the night before), we wandered up the hilly roads and through narrow alleys, enjoying, and sometimes laughing at, the views.

(The entire world really misses John Lennon)

…and sometimes creating laughs ourselves.

While our first stop at the Nympaheum was less than impressive, we did wander through a market, which we are both apt and love to do.

Showing considerable self-restraint in not buying everything and anything.

After that, we made our way to the old city’s Roman Theatre.

For some reason, seeing things like an amphitheater stripped down to bare ruins makes it seems so much more grand than one of our modern stadiums.

Don’t you think?

I do love a perfect doorframe.

and finding hidden places to enjoy all alone.

Not deterred by a few sprinkles, our last stop of the day took us up to the citadel, a high point on the top of a hill and the perfect vantage point to see the entire city below.

The citadel was once the ancient city of the Ammonites who lived in the area during the Iron Age. It also served as a temple to Hercules and the site of the Umayyad Palace.

Zero to Hero.

Couldn’t help myself.

Also atop the hill was the Jordan Archeological Museum – definitely worth a walk through.

With that, the time change started to get the best of us, so we headed back downhill- and then back a little uphill to our hotel to rest up for the start of our adventure the next day.